{"id":133,"date":"2020-05-27T18:05:28","date_gmt":"2020-05-27T18:05:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gavilansevilla.com\/en\/?p=133"},"modified":"2026-08-19T10:54:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T10:54:12","slug":"gastronomy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gavilansevilla.com\/en\/gastronomy\/","title":{"rendered":"What to eat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cover photo: Flickr. John Picken Photo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A history of the Sevillian cuisine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Spain, each region has its own unique cuisine<\/strong> (the Valencian paella, the Basque pinchos, the Galician seafood, the Castilian meat\u2026) which give a variety and richness to Spanish cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To speak of Sevillian cuisine is to speak of Andalusian cuisine<\/strong>, but with certain distinctive touches. It has a special connection to Al-Andalus cuisine and to products from the Americas, as well as to those from Andalusia\u2019s coastal regions, due to Seville\u2019s historical status as a river port.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The olive oil and olives are present in all Andalusia<\/strong> because of its great extensive olive groves, in addition to the wine that dates back to the Roman times of Aljarafe. Apart from this, rice and oranges were introduced by the Muslims<\/strong> and both were exported to Europe. From them we also inherited the typical sweets made with honey<\/strong>.\u00a0The natural environment of the mountains to the north of Seville, has allowed the raising of Iberian pork<\/strong>, and the consumption of Iberian products can\u2019t be missed off the menu of any bar of the city.\u00a0Finally we shouldn\u2019t forget the Mantecados, <\/em>butter buns or sweets from Estepa that date from the 16th<\/sup> century<\/strong> (and that are the Christmas sweets par excellence), nor the handmade \u2018convent sweets\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andalusian breakfast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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In Andalusia, breakfast is \u201csavory.\u201d<\/strong> The traditional meal consists of coffee and toast (not sliced bread!), which can be one slice (that is, half a piece) or two (a whole piece), prepared in different ways depending on your taste. Although the typical way is with olive oil, tomato, and jamon<\/em> (Spanish cured ham or Iberian ham), it\u2019s also common to order it with butter or p\u00e2t\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enjoy a traditional Andalusian breakfast at a traditional Sevillian bar. It\u2019s also customary to have it with fresh-squeezed orange juice. You\u2019ll start your day full of energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tapas, portions and half portions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In my experience as a tour guide, this is something that confuses most foreign visitors. So a brief explanation might be helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tapa.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the ultimate way to relax and enjoy time with friends, without having to order a full meal at a restaurant. Starting at 12:00, it\u2019s definitely time for a beer paired with a good tapa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But aside from its social aspect, for those unfamiliar with the concept, a tapa is a small dish of food\u2014a modest portion at an affordable price. It\u2019s perfect for casual occasions or for lunch or dinner, where you can enjoy several of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raciones <\/em>or medias raciones<\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll also find these options at tapas bars, which means the portions are larger. Depending on how many of you are dining, you might be better off ordering a full raci\u00f3n <\/em>or just a half (media raci\u00f3n<\/em>). This means that if you all want a specific tapa, you can order one raci\u00f3n<\/em>, which will be more economical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s still different from restaurants, since a dish at a restaurant is meant for a single person, while raciones <\/em>are always meant to be shared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n